INDIANAPOLIS GreenBayPhoenix.com) – It was a successful evening for the Horizon League regular season champion Green Bay men’s tennis team at the Riverwalk Banquet Center in Indianapolis, as four Phoenix individuals collected honors at the 2013 Horizon League Tennis Awards banquet on Friday. Sophomore Michael Tenzer (Neuried, Germany) headlined the event, being named Horizon League Player of the Year, while Phoenix head coach Mark Thomas earned Coach of the Year honors.

Seniors Erik Finkenbrink (Duelmen, Germany) and Craig Cox (Surrey, England) were also recognized, as Finkenbrink was named to the all-league first team and Cox was selected to the second team. In addition, Cox won the Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award, given out for outstanding conduct on and off the court.

Heading into Saturday’s Horizon League Championships, where Green Bay will look to defend its tournament title from a year ago, Tenzer owns a perfect 6-0 singles record against league competition. Also a first-team all-league selection as a freshman in 2012, Tenzer sports a 15-3 overall singles record during his sophomore season. Teaming with Joey Leto (Downers Grove, Ill.), Tenzer has also been effective in doubles play with a 10-3 record.

The second Phoenix player to win Player of the Year honors and first since Tim Prudlow in 2006, Tenzer has a 33-10 singles record in his two standout seasons.

In his fifth season at the helm of the Phoenix program, Thomas takes home Coach of the Years honors for the second time (2011). Thomas guided Green Bay to its first regular season conference title with an unblemished 6-0 record. The team’s 16 wins are tied for the second-most in program history.

Green Bay places two players on the first team for the second year in a row as Finkenbrink garnered all-league accolades for the third time in as many seasons with the program. The senior was a second-team selection in 2011 and 2012 and has a career record of 55-36 in singles and 67-30 in doubles. The 67 doubles wins are the most in school history.

This season as a senior, Finkenbrink is 9-8 in singles action and 12-7 in doubles play teaming with Cox at No. 1 doubles. The southpaw is 4-1 against Horizon League competition at No. 2 singles.

Cox, who also was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team as a sophomore in 2011, has been one of Green Bay’s most consistent and solid players this season. In singles, Cox’s 18-4 record includes a 2-0 mark at No. 1 singles, a 3-0 mark at No. 2 singles and a 13-4 record at No. 3 singles. In conference action, Cox has won five of his six singles matches. He is 12-7 at No. 1 doubles this season alongside Finkenbrink, and for his career he has a doubles record of 61-33.

Cox was awarded the Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award, which is named after the longtime Wright State coach who exemplified the values of the league and encouraged student-athletes to compete with sportsmanship.

The top-seeded Phoenix will begin its quest to defend its tournament title Saturday morning against No. 4 Wright State at 9 a.m. CT at North Central High School.